


Brothers of a Feather

by msraven



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Food Porn, Long Lost/Secret Relatives, M/M, Sharing a Bed, Wingfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-21
Updated: 2013-03-20
Packaged: 2017-12-05 23:05:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,798
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/728928
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/msraven/pseuds/msraven
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>My attempt at a <a href="http://trope-bingo.dreamwidth.org/">trope_bingo</a> postage stamp.</p>
<p>Clint Barton and Will Brandt find out they’re long-lost twin brothers...and that’s the most normal part of their day.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Lift

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SevenCorvus](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SevenCorvus/gifts).



> For [SevenCorvus](http://archiveofourown.org/users/SevenCorvus/pseuds/SevenCorvus) who asked for a crossover with MI4 or Bourne Legacy, where Will and/or Aaron is actually Clint's brother. They could already know this, or meet for the first time. 
> 
> Then I looked at my [trope_bingo card](http://msraven.dreamwidth.org/#entry-428) and this happened.

“Trust me on this, Coulson,” Clint says confidently. “This place has the best coffee in DC. When have I ever let you down?”

Phil turns to look Clint in the eye and says in all seriousness, “Never.”

Clint almost smacks himself in the face with the coffee shop door. He looks at Phil in surprise to find the older man still staring at him intently and Clint’s heart jumps in his chest. Maybe, just maybe, all these months of wooing Phil with coffee is starting to work.

It started while Phil was still in Medical recovering from Loki’s stab wound. Clint had overheard Phil asking for coffee, only to be denied by the nurses. Phil had looked so dejected that Clint went out of his way to double and triple-check with Bruce and the doctors that a small amount of coffee wouldn’t actually impact Phil’s recovery. Clint had then found a small coffee shop not far from HQ that had gotten great reviews and snuck Phil a small, half-caff cup of coffee. Phil’s eyes had lit up with glee before closing in bliss, his lips falling open in a gasp of pleasure after his first taste of the coffee. Clint had fallen in love - or at least finally admitted to himself that he was in love with Phil Coulson.

Clint brought Phil a cup of coffee every day after that, his heart stuttering every time Phil’s eyes brightened with joy upon seeing him each morning. Clint charmed his way into the good graces of the coffee shop owner and learned all of her secrets on how to make a great cup of coffee. If they were at the Tower, Clint would make Phil his own brew, which wasn’t quite the same as the coffee shop, but Phil seemed to appreciate anyway. If they were at HQ, Clint would make a point of detouring to the little coffee shop on his way in. On the one or two trips they’d gone on since Phil had come back to active duty, Clint did his homework in advance and always found the best-rated coffee shops in the area - much like today. 

Phil and Clint continue to stare at each other in the doorway until another patron excuses himself and brushes by them to enter the shop. For a split-second, Clint thinks he recognizes the other customer, but then he’s distracted by the little spots of color on Phil’s cheeks - he’d made Phil blush! Clint couldn’t help his grin as he waved for Phil to precede him into the shop, the grin widening as he watched Phil take a deep breath once the smell of coffee hit him.

Clint is so busy looking at Phil that he doesn’t notice anyone else in the coffee shop. It’s not until he sees Phil reach for his sidearm that he realizes something is wrong. Clint follows Phil’s glare and finds himself staring at his exact double.

The man that had brushed by them at the door moves to stand in front of Clint’s double just as Phil moves to step in front of Clint. Clint’s brain snaps out of his shock and he puts a restraining hand on Phil’s arm to keep him from actually drawing his gun.

“Wait! Phil,” Clint says, recognizing the IMF agent. “Isn’t that Ethan Hunt?”

Phil’s glare doesn’t abate and Ethan’s frown gets deeper. 

“How the hell do you know my name?” Ethan asks.

“We’re supposed to be meeting with you in thirty minutes. I’m Agent Barton and this is Agent Coulson.” Clint answers when it’s clear that Phil’s protective instincts have gone into overdrive, preventing him from responding. “That must make you Brandt,” Clint says to his double.

“ _You’re_ Barton?” Will Brandt says incredulously. “How is this possible?”

“I’m not certain, Agent Brandt,” Phil says calmly and Clint breathes a small sigh of relief that Coulson is back in control. “But may I suggest we take this somewhere else?”

“That’s probably a good idea,” Ethan agrees as he looks around at the wide-eyed stares they’re getting from the other people in the shop.

“Can we at least get coffee first?” Clint requests. They’d gotten in fairly late the night before and he doesn’t think he’s ready to face a meeting with his double without some caffeine.

“I’ll get them,” Phil offers and turns toward the counter.

“Hi,” Clint says, stepping forward and holding out his hand. “I’m Clint Barton. It’s always a pleasure to meet a good looking man.”

Brandt blinks at him for a second before smiling and reaching out to take Clint’s offered hand. “I’m Will Brandt.” 

Their hands touch and it turns out that meeting his double isn’t going to be the strangest thing to happen to Clint that morning.


	2. Glide

There’s a weird sort of energy surge that emanates from where Clint and Will’s hands meet and the next thing Clint knows, he’s being flung across the room. 

“Clint!”

“Will!”

Clint’s back explodes in pain as he hits a wall before faceplanting onto the floor. 

“Hunt!” Coulson’s voice commands from somewhere nearby. “Get everyone else out of here.”

Clint registers the sound of footsteps scurrying out of the shop through the haze of pain and then feels gentle fingers on his shoulder that he somehow recognizes as Phil.

“Clint...” Coulson says and there’s something in his voice that sounds like fear.

Clint tries to sit up and feels a strange weight on his back. He wonders at first if some of the wall fell down on him, but then Clint realizes that he can _feel_ the weight on his back. He scrambles to stand and Phil backpedals away as Clint’s wings - he has _wings_ \- unfurl behind him. 

Will is still down on the floor across the room and his eyes go comically wide when they lock onto Clint. Will is on his stomach in an aborted push-up and Clint’s own eyes widen when they see that the IMF agent has his own pair of wings sprouting out of his back

“Oh fuck...” Clint says and Will shuts his eyes tight.

“Ethan?” Will asks softly.

“Yes, Will,” Ethan responds from his crouch next to Will, “you have wings too.”

Clint starts to feel a rising tide of panic and tears his eyes away from the IMF agents to look at Phil, knowing that the older man’s calm presence will keep him grounded. What he doesn’t expect is to see Phil’s eyes filled with awe and wonder.

“They’re beautiful, Clint,” Phil says. “They look...they look like you.”

Clint ducks his head to hide his blush and the wings automatically tuck in close to his back. Phil looks a little disappointed that the wings are no longer in view, but smiles at Clint reassuringly. 

“I’ve already signaled SHIELD. They’ll be sending a van so we can get you and Brandt out of here without causing more of a scene,” Phil says.

Before Clint can say anything in response, there’s a loud groan from across the room. They look over to see Will with his eyes still closed and Ethan moving his hand gently over Will’s wings. Will groans again and Clint realizes with a smirk that it’s not because he’s in pain.

“Ethan,” Will finally says in warning. “I don’t think you should be doing that in public.”

Ethan’s eyebrows go up to his hairline before he coughs uncomfortably and drops his hand to Will’s shoulder. “Think you can stand?”

Will nods and Ethan helps him up with a hand on his elbow for support. Will straightens and his wings tuck back like Clint’s. The IMF agent looks across at Clint, who shrugs.

“I guess this means we’re probably more than just look-alikes,” Clint says.

Will opens his mouth to respond and then bends at waist to lean forward with his hands on his knees. Ethan looks at him in concern as Will takes several deep breaths.

“I just...need a minute or two,” Will says in apology. “It’s a lot to take in.”

“Take your time, Agent Brandt,” Phil replies. “SHIELD is still a few minutes out.”

Will raises his head and looks up at the two SHIELD agents. “You two are taking this very calmly.”

Phil and Clint look at each other and Clint shrugs again. “Would it help if I said this isn’t the strangest thing that’s happened to me?” Clint asks.

“No,” Will responds. “It really doesn’t.”


	3. Flight

Will and Clint spend the rest of the day being poked and prodded by the SHIELD doctors and scientists. All the various doctors can determine from all the testing is that Will and Clint are genetically identical. They can’t explain the magical wings - which are definitely magic because they sprouted without ruining either of Will or Clint’s clothes - or how the two of them can be identical twins when neither of them had been adopted. 

What Will and Clint figure out on their own is that they can control if and when the wings are visible. With a little concentration, Will can make his wings disappear completely after a few hours of trying. It takes Clint almost the full day and some prodding from Phil to manage the same thing. Instead, Clint chooses to spend his time zooming around the SHIELD training room once he realizes the wings actually let him _fly_. Will refuses to attempt any real flight aside from confirming that his wings are equally functional, no matter how much Clint goads him.

“Not everyone grew up in the circus,” Phil reminds him. “Most of us have a natural aversion to free fall.”

Clint really wants to know why that comment has Will looking at Ethan pointedly. 

They get a possible explanation for the wings from Thor, who recalls tales his father once told about an extinct race of winged beings called the Thanagarians. According to Odin, the Thanagarians had all died out due to war and famine, but not before hiding their crown princes somewhere unknown in fear for their safety. Will is not pleased when Clint starts calling him Leia and glares at his boyfriend when Ethan can’t quite contain his laughter.

All in all, Clint isn’t sure if he’s more weirded out by suddenly having a twin brother or that he now has a functional set of magical wings. The wings he can pretty much take in stride - it really isn’t the strangest thing to happen in all the years he’s worked at SHIELD. The brother thing is tougher because it’s clear that Will and Clint are a study in nature vs. nurture and Clint doesn’t have the best track record when it comes to brothers. Will, on the other hand, seems happy with the prospect of suddenly having a brother, so Clint resolves to at least try and make it work. 

When Will and Ethan offer them a place to stay for the night, Clint agrees. The single guest room doesn’t bother either Clint or Phil - they’ve been on too many ops together for bed sharing to be an issue. Clint uses exhaustion as an excuse to retreat quickly into the guest bedroom and breathes a sigh of relief when Phil closes the door behind him.

“You okay?” Phil asks, concerned.

“It’s just...weird, you know?” Clint shrugs. 

“The brother thing?” Phil clarifies.

“Yeah,” Clint nods. “It’s been a while and I’m honestly not sure what Will’s expecting from me.”

Phil steps forward and puts a reassuring hand on Clint’s shoulder. “I know we just met them this morning, but Will isn’t Barney,” Phil says. “And I...Natasha and I...are here now to make sure nobody hurts you like that again.”

Clint looks at Phil gratefully and Phil squeezes his shoulder. “Worry about it in the morning after we’ve gotten some sleep.”

Clint nods and sinks down onto the edge of the bed to take off his boots as Phil walks into the bathroom. Clint’s movements are slow with the mental and physical exhaustion finally starting to take hold. He stands and strips down to his boxers before stretching with his hands above his head, letting out another sigh as his wings unfurl to their full span behind him. He drops his arms to find Phil standing at the bathroom doorway and staring at him in wide-eyed wonder.

“They really are beautiful, Clint,” Phil says and Clint once again tucks his wings away in embarrassment, unused to the praise. 

Clint concentrates until he knows the wings have disappeared before walking past Phil into the bathroom. Phil is already under the covers with his eyes closed when Clint is done, so he slips into bed as quietly as he can. He lays on his stomach and hopes he’s tired enough to sleep.

“You’re never going to fall asleep like that,” Phil points out. “Remember Belize and the mutant bee stings? I’d prefer you not toss and turn all night because you can’t sleep on your stomach.”

“I know,” Clint sighs. “But it feels odd to sleep on my back even if I can’t feel them right now.”

“Come here,” Phil beckons. “Just like Belize.”

Clint scoots over until he’s half laying on Phil, angled enough so that he’s not on his stomach, but isn’t putting any weight on his back. He throws his arm around Phil’s waist, too tired to think about why they’re both comfortable being wrapped around one another.

When they wake in the morning, they find that Clint’s wings have reappeared in his sleep with one of them now curled around them like a cocoon. Phil reaches out to stroke the magical feathers and Clint whimpers at the touch.

“Does it hurt?” Phil asks like he doesn’t already know the answer or feel Clint pressing hard against his hip. 

“No,” Clint says and bites back a moan as Phil continues to stroke his fingers over the exposed wing. “Pretty opposite, actually.”

Phil increases the pressure of his fingers and Clint turns his face into Phil’s shoulder with a groan. 

“Phil...” Clint begs. 

“Yes, Clint?” Phil asks and Clint raises his head to look at the older man. The desire he sees there takes his breath away.

“Really? Now?” Clint can’t help asking back.

“Well,” Phil responds, “it’s either now or you can keep bringing me orgasmic cups of coffee for a few more months.”

Clint gapes as Phil smirks. “I’m going to kiss you now,” Clint declares.

“I was kind of hoping we’d get a little further than that,” Phil responds and Clint decides it’s time to stop talking.

Clint leans up to kiss Phil as his new wing wraps tightly around them both. He knows that there are a multitude of things to deal with outside that bedroom door, but for now, Clint has a willing and eager Phil in his arms - the rest can wait.


	4. Epilogue

Breakfast is awkward, but not uncomfortable. Phil can see that the two brothers actually have a lot in common and that he was right about Will Brandt not being like Barney Barton. Will is definitely more reserved than Clint, but it’s a telling fact that both brothers ended up working for non-standard government agencies. 

After another few hours in Medical with no additional results, Phil makes an executive decision and herds all four of them out to a remote field on the outskirts of DC. It’s a no-fly zone for aircraft and Phil knows there is SHIELD equipment buried in the dirt to prevent anything they do from ending up on YouTube. 

Ethan and Phil lean against the car and drink their coffee as they watch the brothers fly high above the field. Clint looks absolutely delighted as he circles around Will, who is flying in more sedate arcs. Phil smiles when he sees Will throw his head back and laugh at something Clint says.

“What do you think they’re talking about?” Ethan asks.

“My guess is that Clint is telling him about the time we got turned into corgis,” Phil responds.

Ethan chokes on his coffee. “Corgis? As in dogs?”

“Yes,” Phil answers with his own smile at the memory. “It happens.”

“SHIELD sounds like an...interesting place,” Ethan says.

“You have no idea, Mr. Hunt,” Phil responds.

They sit in silence for a few minutes as Clint tries more aerial acrobatics, even getting Will to try a few of the simpler tricks.

“Will was pretty freaked out about the wings thing,” Ethan confesses.

“Clint was pretty freaked out about the brother thing,” Phil reciprocates.

Clint and Will’s combined laughter reaches them and Ethan grins. “They both look like they’re handling it better now.”

“I have a feeling that resilience through adversity is in their DNA,” Phil says thoughtfully.

“One of the reasons why we love them, you think?” Ethan asks.

“Most definitely, Mr. Hunt,” agrees Phil. “Most definitely.”

_fin_

**Author's Note:**

> A trope_bingo postage stamp is one fanwork that incorporates four tropes from any 2x2 square on your card.
> 
> The attempted tropes in this fic: food porn, secret twin/doppelganger, wingfic, and sharing a bed.


End file.
